Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Paul Audi, Richard Boyd and Timothy Williamson

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1 idea

19. Language / B. Reference / 1. Reference theories
References to the 'greatest prime number' have no reference, but are meaningful [Williamson]
     Full Idea: The predicate 'is a prime number greater than all other prime numbers' is necessarily not true of anything, but it is not semantically defective, for it occurs in sentences that constitute a sound proof that there is no such number.
     From: Timothy Williamson (Vagueness [1994], 6.2)
     A reaction: One might reply that the description can be legitimately mentioned, but not legitimately used.